Let's Unpack The Quiverfull Movement Mentioned In Netflix's 'Our Father'
Our Father unfurls the case of Donald Cline, a former fertility doctor who fathered almost 100 of his patients' children without their consent.
While wondering why Cline did it, his children realize that his beliefs seem similar to the Quiverfull movement.
So, what is Quiverfull? Here's everything to know:
Netflix's latest true crime documentary Our Father tells the terrifying story of Donald Cline. Cline, who ran a fertility clinic in Indiana, secretly fathered dozens of his patients' children and wasn't caught until decades later.
One major question that remains unanswered in the film is why Cline did it. Jacoba Ballard, one of Cline's children, wonders along with her half-siblings why he would want so many offspring in the first place.
“What made him, every day, wake up and decide to go into his work, masturbate, and place it, unknowingly, inside women without their consent?” Jacoba asks. “He could have stopped at any point, but he kept doing it over and over and over.”
In the documentary, one theory begins to emerge. Cline was a pillar of the local community and very active in his church. He was a church elder, meaning he helped govern the church body. He even baptized new members in his own swimming pool.
Jacoba says that many of the half-siblings suspect Cline may have had similar goals as the Christian religious movement called Quiverfull.
To be clear, this is speculation. Cline was not interviewed in the documentary. And the Quiverfull connection is a theory put forth by Jacoba and her siblings. Nothing has directly linked Cline to Quiverfull, and he has not expressed a connection with the movement.
So, what is Quiverfull? Here's what to know:
Quiverfull is a Christian religious movement.
The movement has grown among conservative Christians in recent years, according to NPR. "Quiverfull" is a reference to Psalm 127: "Like arrows in the hands of a warrior are sons born in one's youth. Blessed is the man whose quiver is full of them."
Members believe that God knows how many children are right for them, and that creating large families will help spread the word of the Bible. They also don't believe in birth control.
"The womb is such a powerful weapon; it's a weapon against the enemy," Quiverfull leader Nancy Campbell told NPR in 2009. "My greatest impact is through my children. The more children I have, the more ability I have to impact the world for God."
The movement has previously been associated with the Duggar family from the TLC series 19 Kids And Counting, although the family has said they are not a part of Quiverfull.
Why is Quiverfull controversial?
The movement began to attract members after the release of The Way Home: Beyond Feminism, Back to Reality, a book written by Mary Pride in 1985. Pride wrote about her experience turning away from feminism and eventually converting to evangelical Christianity, per Newsweek. Siblings in the documentary describe the group as "cult-like."
Some also question whether Quiverfull's beliefs are racist. The movement doesn't outwardly project teachings that focus on race. However, Campbell explained to NPR that part of the reason why Quiverfull emphasizes starting large families is to prevent Christians from dying out.
"We look across the Islamic world and we see that they are outnumbering us in their family size, and they are in many places and many countries taking over those nations, without a jihad, just by multiplication," she told the outlet.
And, Kathryn Joyce, who wrote about the movement in her book Quiverfull: Inside The Christian Patriarchy Movement, added that the group has goals beyond raising children. "They speak about, 'If everyone starts having eight children or 12 children, imagine in three generations what we'll be able to do,'" she said. "'We'll be able to take over both halls of Congress, we'll be able to reclaim sinful cities like San Francisco for the faithful, and we'll be able to wage very effective massive boycotts against companies that are going against God's will.'"
Our Father suggests that Cline may have held similar beliefs.
In the documentary, Jacoba and her half-siblings say they first suspected Dr. Cline might be connected to the Quiverfull movement after she received an email from someone with a Quiverfull domain name, per Newsweek.
Throughout the documentary, viewers are also reminded of Cline's waiting room, which was decorated with many Bible quotes—including Jeremiah 1:5, which reads, "Before I formed you in your mother's womb, I knew you." (This quote also appears on the Quiverfull website.)
In Our Father, Jacoba and her half-siblings do some research on Quiverfull. They learn that some members were determined to have numerous white children, due to fears they would disappear. Jacoba and her half-siblings all noted how they looked eerily similar, Newsweek reported.
Most of Cline's children were white, and many have blonde hair and blue eyes. “It’s almost like we’re like this perfect Aryan clan," Jacoba says in the film. She adds, “it’s disgusting to sit there and lay in bed at night, wondering if the person that created you is some racist bigot."
You can watch the full Our Father documentary on Netflix.
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